Health Status

Monday, met with the surgion who will be putting in my port. Nice guy, great doctor. Met with the administrative team at the North Fork Surgical Center, again nice folks, but seemed to be having a typical Monday when some things just wouldn't go right. Made a trip to the Oncology Center to change a prescription, the last one had weird side effects.

Tuesday, Today, I had the PETSCAN done and with the help of not one but two sendatives, I survived the ordeal without any hesteria. yea!!!!! We won't have the results for a while but we will keep you posted.

Next we take on the Port Surgery on Thursday morning at the North Fork Surgical Center in Rexburg. A PORT is a entry tube that is implanted just under the skin to allow for easier access to veins for IVs, shots, and blood draws. It is a minor surgery with few risks. I will be nice to only have to numb the area on top of the port and have the needles, slid right in without the 2 hours of fighting to find a vein that will cooperate. This is a good thing.

And the opportunity to get this all taken care of before the end of the year when health insurance deductibles and out of pocket amounts have been met is another blessing.

love to you all. Enjoy the snow, it just keeps coming.... lol -Sheryl

Time for a Port and another PETScan

Well, yesterday did not go as well as we had hoped for. Despite my efforts to drink an entire ocean of water, my veins were still not hydrated enough. It took three attempts again and a lot of stingying and pain. Apparently I have been poked so many times that my skin has developed enough scar tissue that it is near impossible to get in. So next week we are planning on putting the port in, which is aabout a 2-hour day surgery process. I will be going up to Rexburg to have Dr. Christensen do it, as he has a wealth of experience in this procedure. My pre-op appointment with him is Monday. We will schedule the surgery at that appointment but tentatively we are looking at Thursday. The port will be a good thing, so that whenever I have to have blood drawn or have an IV, they can go through the port instead of continuing to beat up my hand, wrist and arm.

The other thing, that we have mixed feelings about is the current readings on my calicium intake, my liver readings and the degree of pain that I am in. My calicium is a little elevated but not at "my normal" levels, so there has been a drop, there has also been a drop in my liver readings. So Tuesday, I go in a PETScan. I will be heavily sedated so that my claustrophobia doesn't get the best of me, like last time. The purpose of the scan is to "restage" the cancer and see if it has spread or if it has remained the same. There is a slight possiblity that my liver readings are off because of the amount of tyneol and iburprofen I have been taking and that the pain may be because of muscle and nerve damage. But we won't know anything for sure until we run the tests. So next week will be interesting.

That's all for now. I hope you enjoy your Christmas preparations. Love, Sheryl

Treatment Day

Today is another treatment day and an appointment with the doc to discuss reconstructive surgery options and medications. I'm thinking it won't happen because of medication conflicts. The best of the day is that Wayne is here and going with me. Going to the doctor is so much calmer for me when he is with me. Have a great day yall'. -Sheryl

It's snowing

Our first snow fall of the season. It's light, but it's white. A little bit more and it will be time for snow angles, snowmen, snowball fights.....and maybe even some snow machining......

Happy Winter.

A Day of Rememberance

Today my heart is full of pondering and rememberance as I think both about those who lost their lives during the attacks on Pearl Harbor and my baby brother.

I am so grateful to those individuals regardless of war time or time of peace, who have served us and our country so that we might enjoy the freedoms, that I quite frankly take for granted. Thank you to my grandparents, my father, my father-in-law, brothers-in-law, friends, and many more, who served or are currently serving. I am endebted to you.

My heart is also turned to that day in December 32 years ago today, when my little brother was called home to live with our Father in Heaven. I remember the details like it was yesterday. I remember what a happy baby he was and how happy he made our family. I love him very much and am ever so grateful that he came here to this earth even for a short while to be in our family and that our family is sealed for eternity so that we might be with him again someday. I know that he's fullfilling his mission in heaven. I love you Danny. -Sheri

Riley and Cammie are my heros!

YAHOO! Riley and Cammie both came straight home from school, which is rare. They joined efforts and got the lights working. We had to compromise because we didn't have enough working icecycle lights to it all, so we have icecycles on the higher roof and straight lights on the lower roof. It looks good. Thanks guys. Love ya. -Mom

Scentsy Party

I am having a Scentsy Party tonight at 7:00 at my house. (which is another reason I wanted the lights to be up and looking good.) I am trying to muster up the energy to go get some cookies made and a table cloth ironed. I have about 8.5 hrs till then. I should be able to get that done.....MAYBE..... ;) Sheryl

Outside Christmas Lights

I love to have Christmas lights on the outside of my house, but this year it has been a pain. One of the boys got them all hung and there were burned out bulbs on 3 of the strings. He didn't know why the lights were out but he hung them anyway. I helped identify the broken bulbs and all was well. He was told to loop the cords so that there wasn't a gap between strings. He did fine on the first two but the last three he had gaps. I climbed up there yesterday and fixed the gaps. Last night a whole new section of lights was burned out, this morning I hoped up there and ended up taking down two strings of lights and now I can't get them to work even though I have replaced the broken bulbs. I ended up crying over the whole mess, which means I am way too tired to stress over lights.... good grief... what a dumb thing to cry about. But I like the lights, they brighten my day every time I see them. Oh well, maybe I can get someone to help me tonight or tomorrow with them. -Sheryl

Bulbs Planted and Christmas Letters mailed

Today was a busy day. I finished up our Christmas letter and got it mailed out. Finished up some Christmas presents. And I dug a 8" deep trench all along the front of my house and Debbie and I planted Daffodil (sp?) bulbs. And under my Living Room Window we planted Daisy starts and Tulips bulbs. I was so wiped out that Debbie had to bury them. I'm excited for spring now to see how well the bulbs do.

Now I am headed to the Ward Christmas PLANNING Party. I'm in charge of decorating, which means that by default, Wayne is helping. :) Sharon & Roger will be helping too.

I am surrounded by the giggles and teasing of teenagers right now. Cammie brought home friends after school and I love having them here and being home to enjoy them.

lol -Sheryl

Happy December

YEAH! It's December. My Christmas decorations are up and I'm loving the feel of Christmas already. I spent the day working on homemade Christmas Gifts and a few household chores. I love the spirit of Christmas and how it brings out the good in so many people.

Thursday I have a Scentsy Party at my home at 7:00. You're welcome to come if you live close enough. ;)

I am meeting with my Oncologist on Dec. 10th to discuss medications and reconstructive surgery. It is looking like I won't be able to have the reconstructive surgery at this time, because the plastic surgeon requires me to go off my tamoxifin and my oncologist says that's not a good idea. So, we are meeting to discuss the specifics. I will keep you posted.

Love, Sheryl