The Gang's All Here!

The Gang's All Here!

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Just Kidding

I know I said in my last post that I was having surgery tomorrow. Just kidding on that. We just couldn't get our schedules/ calendars/ children to align, so my surgery has been postponed until December. Yup, smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, should be just dandy for everyone. I thought I'd spread a little extra holiday cheer this year...

I wish I had more time to write this week, but I'm drowning in unfinished to-do lists. Out of pure guilt, I volunteered to be Simon's room mom for his class. I volunteered out of guilt because no one else volunteered and I couldn't stand the thought of his teachers not being appreciated (a HUGE deal at my kids school) and someone to organize our class basket for the silent auction (our schools only fundraiser, it's really cool). Well, in true Erin fashion, I had no idea what I was signing up for. I am in way over my head, and I'm probably the most out-of-control parent of the group. We're always late for school and this week alone I've had two different moms compliment me on my "calm demeanor" strolling into school late. Wait, what?!?! One, I'm sure they were being sarcastic and two, Im pretty sure my hair is on fire and we're lucky if both kids have on matching shoes along with the correct lunches in the correct bags (yes, I've screwed that up, don't worry).  So, to sum up, I'm out of control at the moment.

Also, I typed this on the iPad, so please pardon my extreme typing and 567 errors!!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Crazytown

So, it's been a busy week so far. We went to the pumpkin patch over the weekend (along with at least half of the state of Georgia, holy humanity...) which, although hot and crowded, was really fun. We met up with our very good friends (family, as we think of them) and Stella's future husband. Yes, it's an arranged marriage and no, I'm not kidding (well, I'm mostly kidding, but sort of not...). Surely arranged marriages are going to make a comeback at some point, right? Things are just so much easier this way ;) (okay, obviously I'm kidding, but wouldn't life be so much more interesting?!?!). Anyway... we picked out some pumpkins, devoured some pumpkin bread and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

On Monday I decided to meet up with a friend so we could take our kids to the zoo. I figured Monday would be a slow day since it's the beginning of the week and all. Or, it wasn't because apparently Monday was a holiday (sorry Columbus, you're not hugely popular in the south). Yeah, my bad on that one. So, we joined the other half of Atlanta at the zoo. We did have a great time and the kids were beyond excited. We always ride the train while we're there - a huge favorite of both Stella and Simon. This trip we decided to try out the carousel. Stella was absolutely beaming and just thrilled beyond her wildest dreams. I think Simon enjoyed it, but nothing like Stella did. She's still talking about riding the "casserole" :).

Today I had a check-up with my plastic surgeon. She's not happy (that's an understatement) with my results. Admittedly, the girls are not perfect yet and my surgeon, being the perfectionist that she is, wants them fixed. I wasn't surprised by this news, and honestly, if the girls are going to be new, might as well have them perfect! So, Steve and I sat down with her surgery coordinator to work out a date. Turns out, the only available date between now and Christmas, is next week. So, SURPRISE! I'm having surgery next week!! Ready or not... Yes, I'm completely aware of the insanity of this, but I'm also anxious to get a move on with my life. And, I have no interest in giving up any of my holiday time with family. So, ready or not, surgery is scheduled for Thursday, October 24th. This surgery only requires an overnight stay in the hospital (not 4 days like last time), so my recovery time should be quick and relatively painless.

In other Crazytown news, Murphy was kind enough to dig up one of our sprinkler heads in the yard. Super sweet of her. She also destroyed my decorative gourds and finished off the one wicker chair I had left in the sunroom. Don't worry, we also took a $120 trip to the vet yesterday only to discover that there's NOTHING wrong with her (other than she's a complete terror). I took her to the vet because she's been favoring her right front leg. She even refused to come down the stairs for a couple of days. We think she's got an awkward nail (for lack of a better term) that may cause her some pain. Of course at the vet, she was walking perfectly and charming everyone there. We were given new anti-inflammatories which "only" cost $60... Living in the loony bin is so much fun, weeeeeeeeeee!!!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Sh!tastic Thursday

I had the morning from hell. Our mornings are normally an exercise in chaos, but this morning really took it to the next dimension. I knew we had a busy day on tap - I had treatment today which meant I ALSO had to be showered, decently dressed (I try not to wear my normal mom clothes - which would be black yoga pants, flip flops and a tee shirt when I have doctor's appointments. Call me crazy, but dressing "professionally" makes me feel good, therefore I don't mind having 5,000 doctor's appointments like it's my job...), and fed before we walk out the door. I have also learned that my coffee needs to be completely consumed at least 30 minutes before my temperature is taken or they freak out that I might have a fever, but that's a story for another day... Anyway, I overslept and so did the kids. I absolutely loathe starting my day out behind. I got up, showered, got the kids up and fed them breakfast. While I feed them breakfast, I pack their lunches for school. They both like string cheese, so I always wait until we're headed out the door before I put that in their lunch boxes. So, I left the lunch boxes on the island (like I always do) and began the battle of getting the kids dressed. As a side note, isn't 3.5 years old way too young to have an opinion on clothes, hair and accessories? Good lord, please help me when Stella is a teenager. We were upstairs for 15 minutes max and only a few minutes behind schedule. And then we came back downstairs to complete destruction. Oh yes, our "darling" Murphy helped herself to both lunch boxes and their contents. Whoever said grapes are fatal to dogs obviously hasn't met Murphy - they didn't even phase her. She also ate the little plastic containers that the food was in. Of course I was completely frazzled because I had to re-pack both lunches and find containers to put them in. If you've ever seen my Tupperware cabinet, you know this was a horribly daunting task. Matching bowls and lids...hilarious. We were SO late for school and we all know how that rattles my OCD timetable cage, AUGHHHH!

Anyway, I had promised myself that since I had treatment today, I would treat myself to a pumpkin spice latte for the drive to the hospital. On my way to Starbucks, I realized I left my phone at home (add another level of awesomeness here). Since I was already late, I decided to go in and order my coffee instead of sitting in the drive thru. There wasn't a line so I was (in my head, mind you) cheering the near return to my timetable. Until I went to pick up my drink and the cup exploded. Yup, not sure what was going on there, but I guess in hindsight I'm really lucky I didn't burn the skin off of my hand. Of course I was mortified and flustered, AGAIN. The guy behind me laughed, but he was allowed to since his day sucked more than mine. He ordered his drink and then realized he forgot his wallet... So, after getting a new cup and only 2/3 of my latte, I jumped in the car, zoomed home to get my phone and headed down to treatment.

Luckily, treatment was uneventful and all my numbers looked great. I'm not sure everyone appreciated my new pumpkin spice perfume, but really, who doesn't love fall? I was just bringing a little ambiance to the room...

It may be that the universe is upset with me. You see, last night I went to the gym and took a Zumba class. My first one in over 4 years. What was I thinking, upsetting the balance of the universe by doing something healthy? Shame on me!! And, not to worry, after 4 years I was still going right while everyone else was going left. I really need to work on that. Yeah, just try to bask in the aura of my awesomeness :) If you see pigs flying tonight, I swear I had nothing to do with it!!

Thursday, October 3, 2013

"Pinktober"

October has arrived and with it comes National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Most people are familiar with the pink ribbon and it's symbol representing breast cancer awareness. While I do think BC awareness is extremely important, I can't help but wonder that certainly we are all AWARE of breast cancer at this point? I wish the theme could be changed to Breast Cancer Education Month. I would love to see more funding contributed to research and new drugs for treatment. Will there ever be a cure for breast cancer (or cancer in general)? I'd like to hope so, but in the meantime, new drugs are becoming available everyday to beat down and conquer this disease.

In honor of "Pinktober", I thought I would share some highlights regarding breast cancer that are not always on the front page of the media.

* In 2013, an estimated 232,340 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women.

*In 2013, approximately 39,620 women are expected to DIE from breast cancer. Only lung cancer accounts for more deaths among women.

* A woman living in the United States has a 1 in 8 (12.3%) lifetime risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer.

* It is estimated that 5 - 10% of all breast cancers are inherited mutations (including BRCA 1 & 2). These mutations are present in less than 1% of the population.

*** Thanks to the American Cancer Society (cancer.org) for the information

Do you find these numbers as alarming as I do? I know scientists, researchers, organizations and many more diligent people are working feverishly to combat and contain this disease. If you are thinking of making a donation towards breast cancer funding during the month of October (or anytime), I would encourage you to question where your donation is going. So much more time, effort, energy and knowledge is waiting to be discovered in regard to breast cancer treatment. I'm a perfect example of drugs literally saving my life. My breast cancer is Her 2+, which 10 years ago was basically considered a death sentence. Along came the drug Herceptin, created to directly target cells overexpressing Her 2+ and suddenly, women with this type of breast cancer were not only beating back the cancer, but most importantly, reaching "No Evidence of Disease" status, which is the best news possible. So, without the drug Herceptin, who knows if I'd even be here today writing to you about how important research is. I'm proud to say that I've been "No Evidence of Disease" for almost 18 months now.

Breast cancer has changed my life in many, many ways and mostly for the better. I feel extremely grateful for the excellent care and support I have received throughout this journey. No one should ever have to endure this alone and I truly believe that because of my wonderful support system, I have thrived and conquered this beast. My battle is a continuous journey, one that I don't take lightly. I hope that I can be a positive light for those fighting back the darkness to become a survivor. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my thoughts (and ramblings mostly!) and for giving me the courage and strength to keep marching forward - I love each and every one of you.

- Erin