About two week's ago I called a good friend to see how her needle biopsy went. Her mammogram signalled something that needed closer inspection.
"It's not benign," she said.
"Wait! No...not...that's not good," I stammered.
"It" is invasive ductal sarcoma - AKA breast cancer. No family history. No sign on previous mammograms.
The world came to a screeching halt. She's been meeting with the surgeons, arranging childcare, convincing the children she'll be fine, and just trying to live a normal life. It's been a roller coaster of emotions, hope, depression. Her third-grader is taking it very hard. The guy who performed the biopsy nailed it - the area is slightly smaller than one centimeter. At first she was hopeful she'd only have to do the lumpectomy. No chance. It's Stage 2, therefore, she'll also have to do radiation and then take a drug for six months. If she takes that drug, no alcohol during that time.
We girls dearly love a glass of good wine.
We live in a small town. She told me she's "given full blessing to talk" about it with people. She's too tired to repeat the story each time. She laughed as she told me she heard she was the conversation topic at a local preservation party she did not attend last weekend.
"I'm finding I'm the elephant in the room," she said. (Maybe I should tell her she's the Pink Elephant in the room.)
She's gathering people to walk together in this weekend's Pink Pass It On walk. Proceeds will benefit our local hospital's breast cancer center scholarship to pay for mammograms for women who cannot afford it. "It's personal now," she explained. http://pinkpassitoninthedistrict.blogspot.com
She called today with Monday's MRI results. The latest finding: her lumpectomy is now a bi-lateral lumpectomy. Yep. Both sides.
Her surgery is Wednesday, October 29. Please send positive thoughts her way.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Parenting 101
I learn a lot every day about being a parent. This school year's lesson is distancing myself from my son's behavior. He is now in first grade.
Last month the principal had me sit in her office while gently breaking the news that she had a report on him.
"He flooded the restroom," she said.
I was so shocked, I couldn't talk coherently to her for the rest of the conversation. I asked if he stuffed paper towels into the toilet.
"No, apparently if you cover the urinal sensor with your finger, it flushes continuously," she replied.
She assured me that he's a boy and that he's experimenting right now. I forgot, in my shock, to mention he'd asked me what it was like to go to the principal's office a few week's earlier. My husband and I decided it was best to let her talk to him and use Love & Logic for our part(Oh! You got in trouble? I'm sorry. I'm sure you'll remember not to do it again."). He's never mentioned it to us. Even when asked what happened that day.
Today when I was volunteering in the class, his teacher told me he's been in some trouble today. I looked at him and he quickly looked away. When the kids went to recess, the teacher told me he was farting on people. The whole class talked about that type of behavior and why it wasn't a good idea. She also spoke with him individually. I wound up laughing, while thinking, Dad better be on board with this one.
I'm from a family of mostly girls - sisters, cousins, aunts. My little brother was the first boy born in our generation and he's eight years younger than me.
OK, so if these things happen in three's, what's next? Family dinner is going to be rather interesting tonight.
Last month the principal had me sit in her office while gently breaking the news that she had a report on him.
"He flooded the restroom," she said.
I was so shocked, I couldn't talk coherently to her for the rest of the conversation. I asked if he stuffed paper towels into the toilet.
"No, apparently if you cover the urinal sensor with your finger, it flushes continuously," she replied.
She assured me that he's a boy and that he's experimenting right now. I forgot, in my shock, to mention he'd asked me what it was like to go to the principal's office a few week's earlier. My husband and I decided it was best to let her talk to him and use Love & Logic for our part(Oh! You got in trouble? I'm sorry. I'm sure you'll remember not to do it again."). He's never mentioned it to us. Even when asked what happened that day.
Today when I was volunteering in the class, his teacher told me he's been in some trouble today. I looked at him and he quickly looked away. When the kids went to recess, the teacher told me he was farting on people. The whole class talked about that type of behavior and why it wasn't a good idea. She also spoke with him individually. I wound up laughing, while thinking, Dad better be on board with this one.
I'm from a family of mostly girls - sisters, cousins, aunts. My little brother was the first boy born in our generation and he's eight years younger than me.
OK, so if these things happen in three's, what's next? Family dinner is going to be rather interesting tonight.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Fall Festival time
Our elementary school had its Fall Festival Friday night. It was a lot of fun and rather well organized. The menu was "Walking Tacos," applesauce and cookie. Walking Tacos are a great idea for kids. Clip open the side of an snack-sized Doritos bag (Nacho Cheese was the preferred chip), then pour your seasoned taco meat over the chips, sprinkle with lettuce, tomato and cheese. Voila! Walking Tacos.
Different rooms were open for Bingo, pumpkin toss, Place the nose on the pumpkin face, cookie walk (like a cake walk) to Halloween music, and a craft area to make a treat bag to use later. One teacher was dressed like a pirate queen. She read spooky stories in the library, which was transformed into a spooky pirate ship. Finally all the kids lined up and walked around the building "trick or treating" at the various rooms.
Our kids had a fun time and did not want to leave. Our soon-to-be 7-year-old was repeatedly asked why he didn't dress up. I guess I need to tweak his Weather Channel meteorologist costume a bit more. He wore a t-shirt that said Weather Channel across the front, with his orange raincoat and headphones that look a little like the ear pieces reporters wear.
The three-year-old was excited to wear his "Speed Racer" costume. People would say, "Hey! It's Speed Racer." He'd go, "Thanks for recognizing me." Then he'd say, "Mom! Mom! They know me!"
Different rooms were open for Bingo, pumpkin toss, Place the nose on the pumpkin face, cookie walk (like a cake walk) to Halloween music, and a craft area to make a treat bag to use later. One teacher was dressed like a pirate queen. She read spooky stories in the library, which was transformed into a spooky pirate ship. Finally all the kids lined up and walked around the building "trick or treating" at the various rooms.
Our kids had a fun time and did not want to leave. Our soon-to-be 7-year-old was repeatedly asked why he didn't dress up. I guess I need to tweak his Weather Channel meteorologist costume a bit more. He wore a t-shirt that said Weather Channel across the front, with his orange raincoat and headphones that look a little like the ear pieces reporters wear.
The three-year-old was excited to wear his "Speed Racer" costume. People would say, "Hey! It's Speed Racer." He'd go, "Thanks for recognizing me." Then he'd say, "Mom! Mom! They know me!"
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Garage Sales
Thursday evening, Christine called to ask if she could borrow a table for an impromptu, unadvertised yard sale. No problem, I said, but I'd like to sell some things, too. Two hours later, her husband had their garage cleaned out and ready to go. I chased down extra tables from both sides of town. Another gal decided to join us as she needed to raise money for her lawyer's retainer fees. (She recently received a ticket for going around a school bus parked in front of a school.)
Gathering items to sell was not a problem as I ususally store out-grown clothes together and I knew the items that absolutely needed to leave the playroom. I stayed up late pricing.
We didn't advertise as it was too late. Christine posted to Yahoo! Groups, Garage Sales. We garnered a little business from that. Our hours were 4-7 Friday and 7-10 Saturday.
We finally called a babysitter at last minute Friday. The three 3-year-olds needed more attention than we could give them.
Was the garage sale worth it? We found out Saturday there was a Monster Garage Sale downtown. I made enough money to cover my share of the pizzas we ordered to feed our hungry children, the babysitter and ourselves. I brought over three mini-van loads of stuff. I returned home with one and a half mini-van loads. The items I didn't sell are now in the basement, priced and waiting for my American Cancer Society's Relay-for-Life team's garage sale next spring. I'm also shipping a box of summer clothes to my friend who moved to Hawaii. (Do you think I could ship myself?) It was also fun sitting and chatting with the other two gals. And the gal with the retainer fees made enough money to cover 98% of the fees!
Gathering items to sell was not a problem as I ususally store out-grown clothes together and I knew the items that absolutely needed to leave the playroom. I stayed up late pricing.
We didn't advertise as it was too late. Christine posted to Yahoo! Groups, Garage Sales. We garnered a little business from that. Our hours were 4-7 Friday and 7-10 Saturday.
We finally called a babysitter at last minute Friday. The three 3-year-olds needed more attention than we could give them.
Was the garage sale worth it? We found out Saturday there was a Monster Garage Sale downtown. I made enough money to cover my share of the pizzas we ordered to feed our hungry children, the babysitter and ourselves. I brought over three mini-van loads of stuff. I returned home with one and a half mini-van loads. The items I didn't sell are now in the basement, priced and waiting for my American Cancer Society's Relay-for-Life team's garage sale next spring. I'm also shipping a box of summer clothes to my friend who moved to Hawaii. (Do you think I could ship myself?) It was also fun sitting and chatting with the other two gals. And the gal with the retainer fees made enough money to cover 98% of the fees!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
