Hi guys!
Yea, it's been awhile (again) hasn't it?? I've been posting on another thread, going through a LOT of life crap (for lack of a better word) and feeling overwhelmed....
Squeak visited me in a PM and invited me to essentially get my hiney back over here. It's good to see you all again, and a "nice ta' meetcha'" to the new people who I've never met before!
What's goin' on with me?? I've had a few major eye opening life things happen since I've been here that have really changed how I look at my health, my faith and even my day-to-day conversations (never thought I'd end up sounding like a mini-oncologist!).
In March I flew to Arizona (Yuma) to visit my Dad and celebrate his 60th birthday. Seems ol' Pops neglected to tell me he'd been diagnosed as borderline diabetic *a few months ago*... He didn't see how it would effect me (uh hello?!? I can sum it up in one word - genetics
). So, that really got me thinking about my health, AND the fact that I'm now old enough to start being more concerned about not only my health, but my parents' too.
Then, right after I got home from AZ, my Mom went in to have a lump checked that she'd found in her breast. She'd just had a clean mammogram in December and our Dr. said it was probably just a cyst. Well, the upshot is that on May 20th my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer (so much for the cyst I guess
). Thank the Gods she found it when she did because it was a very, very bad cancer (extremely invasive and can't be starved by the common proteins or hormones) . It went from naddah to the size of a nickel in no time at all and they found a few cancer "grains" in one of her lymph nodes so it did start to spread.
By tomarrow afternoon we'll know when treatment starts - but the outcome of all this looks really, really good. She's looking at 6 months of chemo and then 4-6 weeks of radiation. We've pretty much cried it all out and now we're all mad as **** and ready to kick some cancer butt. My Mom's a feisty woman - she's more pissed that this is going to interupt her summer than she is scared and she's listening to her daughter (uh, me) and looking for the life lesson in this. She's got hats ordered and has plans to dye her hair bright red when it starts to grow back...
(oh, it's not over....)
Next Monday one of my girlfriend's going in for a lumpectomy too. She's got a lump the size of an orange (no, I'm not kidding) that she's had for 9 years (again, not kidding). Her Mom had breast cancer 4 years ago. We're remaining optimistic until we know exactly WHAT this thing is.
Then lastly, one of my best friend's has got a pretty sick little boy. He's had CP since he was 3 days old (he's now 9) and needs spinal surgery - which happens in October. Problem is is that they don't know that he'll survive it, so he's been put on the Make A Wish list.
I swear.... you'd think all this would have me in a downward spiral like you've never seen - but it hasn't - I *refuse* to be a "gloom-n-doom" person. It's made me look at life in a whole 'nother way. Embracing every day, telling everyone I love them NOW - not waiting or assuming they know.
I feel better than I have in a long time. I've been staying VERY busy painting rooms in my house and landscaping - it helps me deal with stress. Sweat is very healing! I've lost about 25 pounds since my Mom was diagnosed (I feel like my weight is the ONLY thing I can control right now) and there's nothing like the "fear" of diabetes or cancer to make a huge change in your lifestyle.
Squeak, thank you so much for your PM and support. This whole episode has really taught me that tangible friends and "online friends" are really no different. Congrats on the promotion too!
Sorry for the mini-novel, but this is what's up with me. I'm not normally so long winded! I promise to take a breath between sentences next time...
Terri
You are welcome. 
