And So It Begins....

Tomorrow is my surgery.  10AM.  I am dreading it and anxious for it at the same time.  It is actually tough to be sitting here this evening, feeling great, and realizing that I am having major surgery tomorrow and will not be feeling so well.  I am not really nervous about the surgery; I am more nervous about whether the cancer has spread to my lymph nodes and what the pathology report will say.  That will really determine what the next year will be like; what kind of treatment I wil have.

I got injected in the breast this aftenoon with a radioactive something that will indicate to my surgeon where my sentinel lymph node is and hopefully that node is cancer-free.  If not, she will have to remove more nodes and my treatment will be harder. That is the next test result Mike and I will be waiting for.

Today was my last day of work at St. Tim's.  Not fun...I love the people that I see and I truly appreciate all of the support and prayers that I have received.  I hope that will continue even though I am not working there.  I needed to have the job off my mind and be able to fully concentrate on getting well.

It is strange how much my world has changed in the last month.  On July 18th I had my annual screening mammogram.  On August 18th I will have a bilateral masectomy.  What a month!  It has not been fun - to put it mildly.  But I have also learned a lot about the wonderful people around me.  So many people have told me that they care and are praying for me. Many have offered food for the family, rides to doctors, cards, flowers,  and lots and lots of hugs!  If there could be a good side to this whole "cancer thing", it is that I have learned to receive the care and concern from others and how much it means to me...and to my family!  It really, really makes a huge differnce!

Mike will be with me tomorrow and Matt and Nancy will be on the phone.  I really do hate being the cause for their stress but I so appreciate their unwavering support and love.  Somehow, in this really difficult time, I have come to a new and greater appreciation for the people around me and I feel realy lucky!