The Gang's All Here!

The Gang's All Here!

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Fingers & Toes Crossed

Holy Cannoli what a rough few days... We spent Memorial Day weekend at the beach and Hinman Family Compound in South Carolina which was lots of fun. However, upon our return, both kids woke up yesterday with fevers of 104+, completely awesome. I decided to take them both to the doctor even though I figured it was just a summer virus. Trusting the "mommy instincts" is the lesson for this week! Turns out Simon has a raging ear infection and Stella has strep throat. I'm not sure who we ticked off in the universe, but I really think at this point we've delt with our fair share of "crap". Holy Cow!! Steve and I had about two hours of sleep last night and I think the screaming finally died down around 4am?!? Having two really sick kids at one time is definitely no picnic. Why didn't anyone warn us? (I kid, I kid, mostly). The good news is that Stella seems to be feeling much improved this morning and Simon seems to be feeling a little better. Now we'll just keep our fingers and toes crossed that I don't catch strep before Friday. Friday is a red letter day, chemo #6 and more importantly, the LAST one! Wahooooooooooo!

I won't say that time has flown by, but it certainly didn't drag itself out for me these past months. I will be the first person to wish 2012 a swift and hurried adieu! It's a little hard to believe that I'm already on my 6th round of chemo. Maybe it's been more bearable since I haven't really felt too bad. Who knows, but I'm grateful that the time has come to move on. I'm hoping to have some more answers from my oncologist on Friday. I'm anxious to get my surgery scheduled (you know how I feel about my eternal quest for organization and planning!) and start feeling like myself again. No, I haven't been sick, but I've also been running at about 75% which is frustrating.

I hate to cut this entry short, but Simon is determined to not let me sit down today. Poor kid, I know he feels bad, but gosh darn he's even more demanding when he's sick! Just like a man... This momma is ready for a serious drink(s)!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

MOTY and "Those People"

What is MOTY? Oh, yes, that would be mother of the year. Please know that I am 100% okay with that. The first step is acceptance or something like that. Along with not being MOTY, I (we) also happen to be "Those People" a lot of the time. Who are "Those People"? Oh, for sure you've seen us around. We're the ones with the screaming child on the plane (you know, the ones you glare at because we OBVIOUSLY cannot control our child) or the toddler who wings their drink across the table while laughing hysterically. We are SO "Those People".

First off, I have the WORST time remembering nursery rhymes. I'm not sure what my mental block is there, but I can't ever remember more than a line or two. So, I compromise by singing camp songs to my kids. For whatever reason I remember ALL the words to EVERY song. The kids think it's funny and I guess that's the important thing (I hope?!?!). We may not rock out to Bah Bah Black Sheep or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in our house but The Birdie Song and Boom Chicka Boom? We're all over it! Simon especially loves The Birdie Song.

In terms of music (and I'm never far from it as I love music) I have to admit that I would rather listen to opera than Baby Einstein. And really, that's saying something because I'm not an opera fan... I like to think that my children are well schooled in pop culture. It's important that they grow up knowing the who's who of Classic Rock people! So, yes, we listen to the radio/ iPod in the car, GASP! Stella really loves to dance to Lady Gaga, especially at stop lights. It would be wrong of me to put a stop to her channeling her inner diva. Simon apprears to be a fan of LMFAO in case you were woondering his preferences...

It's not that I don't watch Stella when we're outside. In fact, I probably watch her too closely. Somehow, she still manages to eat it on the concrete driveway and looks like she was mauled by a tiger. As we all know, it's summer, so she's wearing shorts and skirts with her tiger legs. At least no one's called DFCAS yet... Speaking of DFACS, (in case you're already planning on calling them after reading this little jewel of a blog post) I also let Simon sit in the Bumbo chair on the island. Yes, I am completely "aware" that goes against the safety rules or whatever but seriously, I'm RIGHT there. Plus he loves being part of the action and honestly, if Simon's not screaming, we're rolling with it.

Finally (although truthfully, I could go on for PAGES) is it really THAT bad if Stella has tiger legs or that Simon has god knows what in his hair (I do bathe the child but he's like a magnet for dirt!)? Who knows, but I'm giving it my best shot. I consider it a victory when I finally sit down at night, the kids in bed and no one has ended up on the 11 o'clock news. It makes my glass of wine that much more enjoyable :)

Monday, May 21, 2012

Nice Little Saturday

It's already Monday again! We had a busy, productive weekend and the weather was absolutely gorgeous! I had a Herceptin treatment on Friday which should should have taken an hour and ended up taking three... I'm not exactly sure what the problem was, but to say they were running behind would be an understatement. Luckily Kate and I were there at the same time so I had some one to chat with. Funny enough, we've been there long enough that we're considered "regulars". I like being a regular, mostly because I know the staff at this point and we're able to joke around and laugh. Being a regular also means that I'm familiar with some of the other patients and chat with them too. Small things, I know, but it's nice feeling comfortable in a place that is my "new normal".

Saturday was picture perfect weather and we spent most of the day outside. We've had a decent amount of rain recently and that means that our yard was quickly reaching "jungle status". Steve has the grass under control but the weeds were having an absolute party in the flower beds. It's amazing how much better things look without the weeds :) Steve finished the garage shelf project (our garage is so organized right now Martha Stewart would be jealous!) and managed to wash the cars as well. Stella had a blast "helping". Simon and I enjoyed watching the show! We had the kids in bed by 8 and enjoyed some time relaxing out on the deck with a beer and homemade steak fajitas, yum!

Sunday was a bit more laid back. In fact, it was laid back enough that I don't really have anything of note to mention. We did decide to have dinner at Chili's which is always fun and good people watching. Stella thinks Chili's is the cat's pajamas! So, we had a nice dinner out and Simon even behaved...I think he enjoys people watching as well.

We've got a busy week ahead and hopefully I can keep up!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Sisterhood

It's truly overwhelming to think about the number of people affected by cancer in some way. I continue to be blown away by the sheer number of people who have battled cancer and won! When we particpated in Race For the Cure over the weekend it really hit home just how many people endure this disease, what a wake-up call.

I was out shopping with the kids this morning (retail therapy is the real deal :) ) and I had a lady approach me and she asked if I was battling cancer. While true that some would be bothered by random people asking them very personal questions, I really don't mind. I WANT to talk about cancer. You never know who you might meet or what you might learn. And seeing as I'm a walking advertisement for cancer (hat, no hair, pink bracelet, you get the picture) it's not all that surprising that someone might wonder. Plus, I do live in the south where people really are friendly (unless it's driving, then all bets are off...). Anyway, I'm so glad I had a chance to talk with this lady. She's an 18 month survivor and doing great. I have to tell you, the success stories are so, so, so uplifting. I also find it fascinating how easy it is to connect with other cancer survivors, especially breast cancer. It's like a sorority and the sisterhood runs very deep. She wanted to share her story and to pass along some excellent hair re-growth info, which is awesome. Turns out, we have the same breast surgeon and plastic surgeon. Oh yes, I'm once again just beside myself with the excellent medical care and support I have received. What a great affirmation!

Talking about cancer is not for everyone. For most, it's the toughest, most personal challenge they'll ever face, myself included. Talking about it can make every emotion resurface in the blink of an eye. But for me? Knowledge is power and I never want to stop learning. I may have cancer, but I'm not afraid of it. Talking about my cancer has empowered me and I take pride in that. Attitude is everything and I'm not about to back down from this fight. So, bring it on Kyle, I'm quite good at the smack talk and this Irish girl is a brawler at heart ;)

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

From 0 to 60!

What a difference a day makes!! She's baaaaaaaaack! And perhaps slightly manic, but that's really here nor there... I woke up feeling somewhat recharged and ready to face the day. Of course, that means we HAD to get out of the house...no time to waste when momma's feeling good! I am quite happy with the amount of things I've accomplished today and it's not even 2pm!

I've decided to make baby food for Simon. I made Stella's food and we had great success, so I'm hoping for much the same with Simon (well, I can HOPE at least). So far he's not really been excited about what I've offered him (not that I really blame him, pureed veggies lack a certain amount of appeal) and I honestly think if I gave him a piece of steak or a cupcake he would gobble it down. He loves to watch Stella while she eats. Today I got out the baby food maker (a most wonderful kitchen tool!) and proceeded to make some food to freeze. Stay tuned to see how it goes...

So, I've been busy today. We ran to Buy Buy Baby (LOVE this store!!) to pick up a few things, came home and made some baby food, lunch for Stella and managed to clean up the kitchen. I've caught up on correspondence and somehow managed to find time to watch a show. Dinner is marinating in the fridge and the avalanche of toys are currently being held at bay... I'm sure I'll pay for it later, but it feels nice to get things done!

I forgot to mention the other day something that I think is pretty cool (but I love science and medicine, so don't judge me!). My breast surgeon is presenting my case at Tumor Conference. I have no idea what that is, but doesn't it sound important?!?! As I've mentioned, Inflammatory Breast Cancer is very rare, so it's not everyday that cases are diagnosed. My doctors are encouraged by my response to treatment and are looking to network with other doctors to get second, third and so on opinions. I'm so thrilled to be a part of medicial research and development! I've said from the beginning that if I could help just ONE person (related to getting early treatment or otherwise) then this will all have been worth it. So, yay for Tumor Conference and strange cancers...

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The Little Things

Well, hello there! I'm here, the chemo fog is slowly starting to lift and I'm beginning to feel somewhat like myself again. I may be kicking Kyle's ass, but chemo is for sure kicking MY ass at this point. Not to worry, I'm okay but I am definitely reeling a bit after round 5. It's interesting, I don't feel any worse than I did for the other rounds of chemo, but the side effects are coming on more quickly and lasting longer, how nice! Round 5 has been a reality check that realistically, I probably needed. I really have had a pretty easy go as far as treatment and cancer but I don't enjoy being reminded that I still have battles to be fought. Being completely honest, I think this round has been emotionally harder than anything else. Yes, I'm so close to being done with this part and yet it feels like I have such a long way to go. It's sort of like being knocked down repeatedly by waves at the beach. Just when you think you've got your bearings, whoosh, another wave comes to knock you back to reality. I have to admit that I am very frustrated with the way I feel, I so desperately just want to feel like myself (potentially dangerous!). It seems silly, but I am so looking forward to waking up in the morning and being ready to get a days work done in a day. Oh wait, I never felt that way before cancer, so that's probably overshooting things a little (okay, a lot!) but you get my point. I can't wait to go up and down the stairs without feeling like I need oxygen or emptying the dishwasher and feeling like I've earned a gold medal. Yes, it's the little things, but I can't wait to feel human again!

I had a wonderful visit with a good friend today that was just what the doctor ordered! It may not seem like much, but just being with friends, having a chance to chat is so uplifting. I feel 100 times better this afternoon than I did this morning and I'm so grateful to have such amazing people surrounding me. From the beginning I knew I wasn't going to take this journey on my own, but it's important for me to say just how much my friends and family mean to me, how essential everyone has been in my healing and getting better.

Round 5 of chemo was as expected. Another good visit with the oncologist and confriming that I will be on Herceptin until the one year mark of my diagnosis. This was expected news and I'm happy that the drug is doing what it's designed to do. Kate and I had lots of time to chat and play scrabble. We're getting pretty good, so watch out! There's also been some drama amongst the staff so we had plenty of time to chat and speculate about the goings on :) All in all, uneventful but productive I guess. We had a nice relaxing mother's day at home which was perfect. Stella even got to have her beloved "enuts" (donuts). There's not much more entertaining than watching a toddler pick off every.single.sprinkle on a donut :)


Thursday, May 10, 2012

Wiggity Wack!

The title of this post should do two things: 1) Make you aware immediately that I have nothing of value to say I just felt like writing and 2) Remember Kris Kross (Jump Jump!)? I am dating myself and you can thank me later for having that song in your head for the rest of the day!


So, in distant refernce to the title of this post, I have yet to acquire a wig. At this point, I'm not going to, but I'm sort of proud of myself for not going that route. I really had planned on getting one and there have been several times that I've wished I had bought a wig. But, our insurance does not reimburse for "Cranial Prosthetics" (AKA wigs for people who speak non-medical English) and I don't exactly have $600 I don't know what to do with. Yes, there are many cheaper options available online, but I wanted to be able to try it on first. So, I've managed to make the most of it with my favorite hat. Ironically, I get lots of compliments on it, especially at the oncologists office. I only have two chemos left so I think I'm going to make it. Just don't ask me to take my hat off :)


In other completely random news, I'm reading Fifty Shades of Grey and all I can really say is, WOWZA! It is VERY steamy (glad I'm reading it on my Kindle) and I'm certainly no blushing bride...but still, OH MY! It's actually a great story, the characters are fantastic and I've laughed out loud several times. I'm looking forward to starting the second book soon.


We're doing Race For the Cure Saturday morning. I'm not sure it's the best choice to participate considering I'm having chemo tomorrow, but I'll be there. Steve's company has a team particpating and I woudn't miss it. Other than that, we have a laid back weekend planned (hopefully). Happy Mother's Day to all the momma's out there, especially to all of the first time moms!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Baby Mama Drama

I find it hard to believe that it's almost the middle of May...wasn't it just February??? Not that I'm complaining, I love summer and the fact that I'm almost done with chemo is a very happy thought. Today Simon is 6 months old which is also just wild, time is really flying. Today has me thinking back to the day I gave birth to my sweet, grumpy baby boy...

I know that it was stupid, but I really expected Simon's birth to be similar to Stella's. We had so much drama leading up to Stella's birth but the actual delivery was a piece of cake, 3 hours start to finish. When pregnant with Stella, I had a placental abruption at 32 weeks. To say that it was terrifying would be a gross understatement. It was two days before Christmas and we were out to dinner with my parents. I actually thought my water had broken at the restaurant but didn't want to say anything to worry the family. We left shortly after that happened and luckily we lived less than 5 minutes from there. Once we were home, it was apparent that something was VERY wrong. To put it bluntly, I was gushing blood and terrified that I was going to lose her. We rushed to the hospital and I was admitted immediately into labor and delivery ICU...not a fun place to be in case you were wondering. I was hooked up to a fetal monitor right away and Stella was happily kicking and punching. Once I knew that she was okay, the rest didn't matter. It wasn't until the next day that the doctors figured out the placental abruption (it's difficult to diagnose before actually giving birth) and by that point I was in pre-term labor, awesome. They put me on magnesium sulfate and gave me a time limit of 12 hours for the contractions to stop. If they didn't stop, I would deliver on Christmas Day. Luckily for me (and Stella) the meds worked and labor stopped. I spent a week in the hospital being monitored and then spent another week at home. It was a memorable Christmas for my family, Steve dressed up as Santa to visit me in the hospital (yes, he totally rocks) and my parents along with Steve had Christmas dinner at a Waffle House. My first follow-up ultrasound out of the hospital (ironically on a Tuesday), my blood pressure was sky high and they decided to induce...on my birthday! So yes, Stella and I have the same birthday, which I think is really cool :) The nurses on my floor even had the kitchen make me a birthday cake! Stella spent 5 days in the NICU to work on eating. Needless to say she caught on quickly and has been thriving ever since!

As you can imagine, my OB was watching me quite closely during my prenancy with Simon. Things went very smoothly up until 30 weeks. At 20 weeks I started having weekly ultrasounds to monitor my placenta (and to avoid a repeat performance of my pregnancy with Stella). Simon was a large baby in utero...measuring almost 3 weeks ahead consistently. Anyway, at 30 weeks my blood pressure was steadily climbing and I was given the blood pressure "warning speech" which I was well acquainted with. On November 4th I was sent to labor and delivery for "observation" due to a really high BP measurement...really I should say 3 measurements, they did give me several chances. Simon was almost born on Steve's birthday, November 5th. Admit it, for a second you were like, what are the chances?!?!? It would have been really cool to have another shared birthday but it wasn't meant to be. I was released from the baby clink and had the weekend to do "bedrest" hilarious with a toddler running around. I went in for a check up the following Tuesday (now you know what I mean about Tuesdays!!!) and with a BP over 160 I was given a direct ticket, do not pass go back to the hospital. Apparently I was actually in the first stages of labor and didn't realize it (I know, I know, but really, you've met me, right?). This time I would be staying until Simon arrived. I was moved later than afternoon to an actual labor and delivery suite. The plan was to see how my labor progressed overnight and if I hadn't made any progress, my OB would break my water and start pitocin (yay...extreme sacrcasm here). I assumed I would deliver quickly since I did with Stella. Of course no such luck this time! 28 hours of labor and nine hours on pitocin...every girl's dream, NOT! The epidural wore off twice (should we talk about that level of awesomeness???) and I hadn't eaten anything in 24 hours before it was all said and done. I've mentioned a few times in this blog that I gained about 400 lbs with Simon so you know that I was ravenous. I nearly took Steve out when he brought in McD's for breakfast that day. Because Simon was early (both Stella and Simon were delivered at 34 weeks, 6 days, how's that for timing?) we knew he would be heading to the NICU. At my ultrasound the week before, the tech had estimated his weight to be around 6lbs, HUGE for 5 weeks early. Once Simon was born I had a quick second with him before they whisked him up to the NICU with Steve for weights and measures. When Steve returned to check on me he asked both me and my attending nurse to guess Simon's weight. We both guessed around 6lbs. WRONG! He was 7lbs, 15oz...an 8lb baby 5 weeks early, are you KIDDING ME??? My OB said (sort of laughing, sort of awed) that if he had gone full term he would have been close to 12lbs. OMG!!! Thank goodness for "small" miracles. Simon spent 7 days in the NICU (mainly because they were making him eat like a linebacker) and then came home.

To say that the 6 months since Simon arrived have been insane would be putting it mildly. But you know what? I'm grateful for the experience and the lessons learned along the way. Stella and Simon could not be more different. Stella was so laid back and easy as a baby. Simon is the polar opposite and challenging, I suppose would be the right word. I love both of my kids in that crazy, mama bear, I would give my life for theirs kinf of way. I think of Stella as my "soul sister" since we share the same birthday and many other traits (stubborness perhaps?). Simon is opinionated and grumpy, with a smile that would melt steel and I credit him for saving my life. That's a pretty heavy load for a little guy who's only 6 months old. My own little knight in shining armor. Happy half birthday baby boy, it's been an unbelievable ride so far but I'm looking forward to many, many more fun times ahead!

Monday, May 7, 2012

A Wing That Is Wild

Here we are, Monday again! The weekends go by so fast, and I say that as someone who doesn't go to work everyday. We had a nice, relaxing weekend at home. We were supposed to fly to Virginia Beach to celebrate my grandmother's 100th birthday, but since she passed away, we opted to stay in Atlanta. My parents held a small memorial service for her at Galilee Episcopal church in Virginia Beach (she not only attended worship services there but worked as the church secretary for many, many years). She was cremated but will be laid to rest next to my grandfather, Col. John R. Riley Sr. in Arlington National Cemetary. It's not a quick process so we're not sure when that will occur, but I'm hoping to make it home to Virginia for that.

Friday night we played outside with the kids (LOVE summer!) and I cooked dinner. Hope no one died after reading that, but yes, I did cook and it was pretty good. One of my favorite parts of summer are all of the fresh vegetables available. I roasted vegetables, sauteed up some chicken and tossed it over pasta. On Friday our DirecTV receiver and DVR croaked. Not a huge deal except for all the shows we lost which is frustrating beyond anything. To their credit, they overnighted us a new receiver and we're good to go. I think I can catch up on my shows online, maybe I'll do that during chemo this week. Thank god for iPads!!

Simon had his first official illness diagnosed on Saturday. Poor little guy has an ear infection and was miserable (read: all of us were miserable from the screaming...) all day Saturday. Luckily we have a wonderful after hours peds place really close to our house, so we walked right in and left in less than 15 minutes. The anitbiotics kicked in Sunday and he's back to his "happy" demeanor. This is funny only if you've spent any time with Simon :)

I attended a birthday gathering on Saturday night at Wild Wing, a favorite haunt for us and our group of friends. It's where we celebrate most of our birthdays. You can't go wrong with beer and wings. Plus, on Saturday nights the people watching is second to none. They usually have great cover bands and we always have a good time. This particular Saturday was interesting because it was also Cinco de Mayo so we figured The Wing would be crazy. It was dead which was strange. The band was pretty terrible but they did cover some great songs from the '90's. We had fun and the waitstaff was bored enough that they were dancing along to the music. Oh, and the random single guy at the bar dancing his brains out to every song like he owned it was also highly entertaining. It's the little things...

Sunday included more projects around the house and trying to stay cool.  We finally had some rain last night and thunderstorms. I love stormy weather and last night did not disappoint! Of course we had planned on grilling out but the turkey burgers turned out okay in the inside grill. And yes, we did have sauteed spinach, funny you should ask :)

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Fairy Grandmother

Ahem! **steps up to microphone** I have an announcement! (By the way, the 4-H camp Announcement Song still zooms through my head everytime I say that!). My visit with the breast surgeon yesterday was nothing but GOOD NEWS! Great news, in fact! Kyle has headed for the hills and to quote my doctor, "Your boobs look totally normal now". She even did a happy dance during our consult! So, yes, to say that she is pleased with my progress would be an understatement. I can't officially say that I am cancer free yet (I haven't completed my treatments, only two more chemos to go!)  but I'm THIS close! It was a little overwhleming in the sense that now we have the cancer under control it's time to move forward (always a good thing!) and talk surgery and radiation. In reality, I still have a long way to go, but at least it'll be without cancer. YAY! I have to mention again how amazing my doctors are, I think realistically because they are all friends. Like Christina and Meredith from Grey's...seriously. They all did their residencies together and I think that's awesome. So, the plastic surgeon I'm seeing is a very good friend of my breast surgeon (she called the plastic surgeon on her cell phone during my consult yesterday to see if I could just walk over and see her... and I did!). I really have appreciated the team approach to my treatment, it makes things so much easier when everyone is on the same page. So, lots of questions answered yesterday. It looks like I'll be having a double mastectomy (my choice, but very much supported by all of my doctors as I am so young) very end of June or beginning of July. I won't be able to do reconstruction right away because I still have to do radiation (the new tissue will not be strong enough to support radiation). Reconstruction will happen about four months after I finish radiation. So, a long way to go, but I'm okay with that.

I'll be honest and say that yesterday started off bad, really bad. Before I'd even gotten out of bed I managed to knock an entire glass of water off of my nighstand. Freaking fantastic! I love beginning my day mopping the damn floor. Things pretty much went downhill from there. As you can imagine, I was taking all of these "events" as a bad sign for my doctor's visit (which of course I was late for). By far the worst part of the day was my grandmother passing away. It wasn't completely unexpected, but sudden. I say sudden because we were actually supposed to fly up to Virginia Beach this weekend to celebrate her 100th birthday, complete with a party and a Riley family reunion. I'm so bummed that she didn't make it to 100, literally days away. However, I know she's in a much better place and if you'd ever met Ruby, (ever the Colonel's wife) then you know that it was always her way or the highway :). She really didn't want a100th birthday party, so this was a helluva way to get out of it ;) I'm a little sad that she didn't have a chance to meet Simon but I know she was thrilled to have a great grandson. Simon's middle name is Anderson, which was my grandmother's maiden name. Being mostly Irish, my sentimental soul takes great meaning from her passing yesterday. I 1,000% believe that she was watching over me yesterday, perhaps her first assignment in her new life. While she can't be with me in person, she's watching over me from above and I take great comfort in that. Her official status will be my Fairy Grandmother from now on. So, thank you Grandmommy for granting the greatest wish I could ever ask for, to be cancer free and watch my babies grow up!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

"Cancer Spinach"

No, I haven't lost my mind (yet). Surely I must have because that post title makes noooooo sense. True, but it makes me laugh and that's the point. We had a GREAT weekend, spending time with friends and relaxing. I'll get to the cancer spinach at some point in this post.

Thursday night I went to dinner with my two closest girlfriends here in Atlanta and it was fabulous! Nevermind that it's taken us FOREVER to try and get together, it didn't matter. The night was perfect and just what I needed after a somewhat rough week. It's amazing how good friends and wine make everything better :)

On Friday night we decided to do family pizza night at Mellow Mushroom (excellent pizza for those of you not local). We had a lot of fun. Stella LOVES pizza and salad (is that strange? I mean, the kid will eat an entire bowl of salad if given the opportunity), so she was in her element. It was nice to get out of the house and watch other families have fun and chaos too. Simon slept through the event but that's okay!

Saturday night we went over to our very good friends (heck, they're family to us) for dinner. It was a beautiful evening, so we spent time relaxing (drinking wine) and watching the kids play. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have nights like this, where life is good, the company exceptional and the food (and wine) out of this world. It felt so good to be "normal". I think maybe the most important aspect of our friends is that we CAN talk about the cancer if it comes up. Our friends aren't afraid to ask how I'm doing or what the latest news is regarding my treatment. And yup, we laughed about cancer. GASP! In fact, it's safe to say we laughed our asses off. That's how cancer spinach came up. Maybe we all should eat more spinach. Who knows, it may be that spinach is the cure for cancer (which if that is the case, then I'm well on my way to being cured!).

Sunday evening we also spent with some friends for a yummy BBQ. Stella enjoyed a weekend filled with kids and backyard play sets - we're going to have to figure something out soon for our backyard! She's getting to be such a big kid, climbing on her own, going down the big slide and going down the steps on her own (what?!?!? when did she learn how to do that?).

Monday I took the kids to the zoo to meet up with a friend and her little girl. Did I mention that it was 500 degrees? This weather is crazy, but we had fun. Stella just adores the "elfants" and "zeeras". Simon made his debut in the big boy seat in the stroller and seemed to be quite happy. We and the 45 elementry schools that were there (can you say holy insanity batman?) enjoyed watching the animals. I was also quite proud of myself for navigating us there and back with no major detours. Atlanta is so much easier to navigate than DC!

So, yes, we've been a little busy. I don't have time for cancer, there's just so much to do. Summer time is here and not a minute to waste! Tomorrow I meet with the breast surgeon and we'll have some updates, hopefully good ones. Fingers and toes crossed and I'm eating my spinach tonight...