Jan. 31st, 2009

Hi my dear family and friends!!!
I was looking at my counter on my blog and see how many of you stop by to keep up with me.. I feel so blessed! BUT.... LOL... I think more of you should say HELLO on my guestbook...:).. Let me see who is visiting me...:) :)

Ok... I have some news.
I have made my decision on Radiation. This is coming from MUCH research on my part. If I do the rads, I have a 3-5% better chance of NOT having a recurrence. I do have a very aggressive cancer. ( OR should I say HAD...wahoooooo)
To my, Todd, and most all my family... that is a very small % to do the rads and put myself at the risk of other problems radiation can cause.
If my % was higher.. like... 15% or higher, I would have done them. I am what the Oncology departments call a " gray area gal" for radiation. They really don't have enough studies on women who had a COMPLETE response to chemo as I did prior to surgery.... But the studies they do have show very little need for me to do rads.
So... Decision Made! I ask anyone reading this to PLEASE ask God to make this choice the right one, so that I can live! ( only to be hit by a bus and killed anyway...LOL.. sorry you all know my sick humor)...hehe!
I do feel really good about this decision and so does Todd.! We feel like we are getting our lives back! The only difference now is I am such a happier person...I have met some friends I bet I will have for life, I learned how beautiful total strangers can be... how old friends come back and say hi, and care for us...I am closer to my parents and brother because we have shared utter fear together. I realized I had spent wasted precious time on a friendship, that was not real. It was to me, not to her.. Now, I am so much freer and feel so much healthier.. I could go on and on!!!
Could breast cancer have been the best thing in my life to happen to me, I will never really know that answer.. I did get really super awesome Boobs out of the deal though... ROFLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not kidding either... Todd and I live in amazement over them "daily"...hehe... TMI.... sorry.. again, my humor....:)

Anyway.. I promised the big rads reveal... so here it is.. NO RADS!
I will be taking Herceptin in my chest port every three weeks until Nov. of this year.. this is no big deal...and my life saving drug... I can give up the time!

I am feeling stronger too. I have been released to come back to work soon. I have 98% full movement in my arm.. WAHOOOOOOOOOO... The Lord is SO merciful to me.

For all my Customers reading this.. I will be starting back to work the week of February 16th.
I am so glad about this.. I miss work so much. I cannot believe I have been off for 7 months. Thank God for my staff of ladies... I know it has been hard on them without me there, as they have shared their feeling about this. They did very well, and I am proud of them!

Now If I can just get my hair to grow FASTER!! I am getting tired of wigs... But It is one inch long... eeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk.. even a stylist cannot do anything with 1 inch..oh well.... I have worn wigs since last July.. what's another 3 months...
You all take care and drop me note and say HI!
Gods Love,
Laura

PS!! Shannon Martin... I got your card today.. what a joy to read. Thank you for sharing this blog with anyone you know that might need it. Your note to me was so kind and I miss the days when we were all in our 20's running around being crazy...:)
Thank you Shannon... kiss all the family.
I used to paint a lot... I had JUST gotten set up on the site you mentioned... when I was diagnosed. So that was all put on hold... you know what.. I really have lost the desire to paint. Not in a bad way.. I just have other things I wanna do..:)
I would love to see your site if you have one with your art! Photography right?

PSS! The picture above is the one so many of my friends love, so I posted it again.. hopfully the next picture of me will be with 2 inch hair!!
"We are the Ta Ta Sisterhood"