Surgery

10:45 pm:
I'm in my room at Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC. Surgery took about 3 hours and I was in recovery room by a little after 6 pm. The surgery didn't get started until after 3.
I had a little bit of unexplained but not too worrisome fast heart rate so I stayed in the Recovery Room until 9pm for observation.
By all accounts, the surgery went well. I am feeling quite good. No real discomfort but I feel sure that they did some nerve blocks as well, which haven't worn off.
Chris was a real trooper and hung out here from 11 am until after ten. I sent him back to our hotel, where we have been staying since Sunday. With the snow and freezing temperatures, I didn't want to take any chances about being unable to get to the hospital. It worked out well and we extended so Chris could stay the night and not have to drive home and back.
Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I love you all! More updates later.

"On The Road Again"

After more than a year, I was finally "on the road again" and we were not unlike gypsies. Last week we went to Edisto Beach SC on a camping trip. Our goal was to head far enough south to actually find weather nice enough to "warm my bones". As luck would have it, the last warm day was the day before we got there. We arrived at the same time as a strong cold front. It was cold, it was windy and one day it was even rainy. That night the winds were strong and the entire island lost power. I did manage to take a walk on the beach every day but as you can see I had to exchange my bikini(sic) for my winter wear. The weather being what it was, we came home a few days earlier than planned. It was fun to be in our camper, AKA "Moby", again. We plan to head out again later this winter but the destination will be somewhere further south.

Yesterday, I had my pre-op visits with my surgical oncologist's NP and at the hospital. My surgery is scheduled for Tuesday Dec. 14th. I will be staying over night and will be doing some serious recoverying over the holidays. I will be glad to get this behind me and have a fresh start in the new year.

I'm also including another picture of Declan. Isn't he cute!!

Wishing Happy Holidays to one and all.

Introducing..

Declan Craig Braswell

Born 11/22/10 at 8:24am

8 pounds 6 ounces, 21 inches.
Proud parents: Patrick and Karen
Big Brother: Liam Joseph

Hairless Halloween

I'm still waiting for hair. Why does it seem like my husband's hair grows an inch a week and mine doesn't seem to grow at all? And now, my eyelashes and eyebrows are gone too. It did make it nice for Halloween. I could go as Uncle Fester from the Adams Family without even having to "dress up". We had a fun time with Harry "Leigh" Potter and the rest of the Gryffindor "Reece" Family.

I've had my consultation with the plastic surgeon but a surgery date is still to be determined. Both the plastic surgeon and the surgical oncologist have to coordinate schedules. Hopefully, it won't be too long.

This past week I have been back in the Washington DC area. Elizabeth had her back surgery on 11/1 and "Mom" came to help. The surgery went well and she is expecting a speedy recovery. Also, she received notification on Friday that she passed the NY Bar!! Great news!!

As luck would have it, on Friday I missed the first snowfall of the season in the NC mountains. I am a snow lover and I seem to always miss the snow. The temperatures will be back in the 60's when I get home on Monday 11/8.

Only 2 weeks until my newest grandson arrives. Pictures will be posted.

Anything but....PINK

October is almost over and I'm spending the end of the month at a lovely place with beautiful fall colors. Nothing pink about them. It's hard not to know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and pink is the chosen representative color. All of that is nice but, as the month ends, I can't help but wonder about a couple of things. Why, after all of these years, is it even necessary to still "find a cure". And, are too many profiting from the "power of pink"? There seem to be so many pink "breast cancer" items for sale. All promising to to donate anywhere from a few cents to few dollars of the purchase price to breast cancer research. I'm thinking that more than a few dollars go toward their "bottom line". Enough said.

I am at the Kripalu center, resting and rejuvenating. I've taken lovely walks in the woods, eaten healthy food and had several healing arts sessions which include massages and facials. On my walk to the lake yesterday, I passed many maple trees with their fallen leaves along the path. These leaves were from the type of maple that were in my childhood school yard and had a fragrance that I hadn't smelled in years. Instant transport back in time. I gathered a few pretty ones like I used to do as a child and pressed them in my journal. I'm trying hard to live in the moment but memories of the past are wonderful too.

On a sad note, I pay tribute to my cousin Susan Benton Small who died on Friday 10/22/2010. She was a remarkable, strong woman and my inspirational role model through chemotherapy. She will be missed.

Autumn Arrives

Fall arrived quickly this year. It might just seem that way to me because my summer was a blur. The leaves have started turning but are less dramatic than in years past and the last of my fall raspberries are ripening on the vine. I always miss my berries in the winter and look forward to their return in the summer.

Last week, I made an unplanned trip to the Washington DC area. My daughter, Elizabeth, was hospitalized for a couple of days with a ruptured disc and for pain management. I tried to be Momma the "Rescue Ranger" but didn't have the strength to do much more than drive her home from the hospital and to drug stores and grocery stores. She is managing to continue her classes at George Washington University, after an epidural, but still requires quite a bit of pain medication.

While I was in DC, my son Patrick was taken to the ER in Asheville, by ambulance, for a possible broken ankle. ( I say, what are my children trying to do to me?) By some miracle, although at the time it looked like a probable fracture, it is only a severe sprain. It was quite swollen so he had to be on crutches for a few days. He's still uncomfortable and that is limiting what he can and needs to do to get ready for the new baby in Nov. I know that must frustrating.

It's now a little over 3 weeks since I completed chemotherapy. I have to admit that I'm being impatient. I really thought that I'd feel "fantastic" by now. Hasn't happened yet. Any day now, I'm sure. I've been lax on my exercising lately and I know that exercise is important in regaining strength. The cooler temperatures in the morning have sure been an easy excuse to put off my walks.

My consultation with the plastic surgeon has had to rescheduled a couple of times. I will see him on Nov. 2nd and expect surgery to be shortly thereafter. But, it is very important that I'm feeling well by Nov. 22nd when my new grandson is due to arrive.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and all the fund raising will hopefully help to find The Cure. I missed the Paint it Pink rally at Pack Square in Asheville while I was in DC, but I did purchase items and have officially participated in "the wearing of the pink".

I am still scheduled for a rest and relaxation trip to the Kripalu Center in MA, Oct 24-27th. I had imagined myself doing lots of hiking, yoga and exercise. Silly me. My goals are now more realistic: rest, read, jacuzzi, massage, facial, healthy food and did I say rest?

Chemo + Ten

It's official, Chemo is over. The last treatment was 10 days ago.
I met with my Surgical Oncologist, Nathan Williams MD, last Thursday for follow up and to plan for the future. Although he would strongly encourage me to continue in the clinical trial, he supports my decision to opt out. We made a plan to schedule and coordinate surgery with a plastic surgeon, Dr. Conway. They will work together on the surgery and reconstruction. We are thinking mid November. Time is needed for all of the chemicals to get out of my system. That will give me time to enjoy my Kripalu retreat, a gift from my daughter Jennie. Kripalu is a yoga center in Lenox, MA. They offer seminars, yoga, tai chi, meditation, nature walks, massage and so much more. A place to really rest and rejuvenate. I will be R & R ing the end of Oct.
After surgery, my newest grandchild will be born (11/22). Joy trumps discomfort!
More good news. I do not need radiation because my tumor was small and the lymph nodes were negative. That's a relief! Other than for surgery, I will be seen at the Hope Center only about every 6 months.
Now, I just go back to being normal? ( Right! Funny!) All I have to do is get my strength back, have my mouth heal, grow hair, grow eyelashes, and hope that food will, someday, taste good. Shouldn't take long........
There is a Paint it Pink Rally at Pack Square in Asheville next Thursday (10/7) from 4:30 to 7:00p. I don't wear pink and have nothing that color in my wardrobe but I just ordered my first pink shirt. I plan to be there and be part of this effort to find a cure. Breast Cancer should be something that we only read about in history books, like the Black Plague or Scurvy.
October is Breast Cancer Month. Please get your mammograms and do your self breast exams. It can save your life!